


Golden State

by Kierkegarden



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, California, F/F, Zoo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-02
Updated: 2018-03-02
Packaged: 2019-03-26 04:23:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13850028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kierkegarden/pseuds/Kierkegarden
Summary: A modern AU!Barissoka zoo date with a heavy dose of California nostalgia and in which the state of Kentucky is the Jedi Code.Written for my Valentine's Day 2018 Ficlet Challenge





	Golden State

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SLWalker](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SLWalker/gifts).



> Finally getting around to uploading my Valentine's Day 2018 ficlets. 
> 
> Prompt: ‘anything literally fluffy (as in fur, fluff, feathers or otherwise) for whichever pairing calls to you.’

The heat of the midday sun blankets across Barriss’s back, through her flowy blue dress and hijab, as natural as Ahsoka’s hand within her own. She can’t believe that its February, that true to label, California is a liminal space where summer is eternal and everyone floats through crowds and that the Trader Joe’s next to their apartment has killer sales on white wine - and that a bottle of it is waiting for them in the cooler in her trunk.

It’s been over a year since she moved out here for medical school, for Barriss and Ahsoka to exist as an entity without everyone’s input. Looking out at the open field enclosures of the San Diego Zoo, she - almost pitifully - relates to the animals. In Kentucky, she was a Muslim, a Lesbian, and a subject for scrutiny. But here in California, she and Ahsoka are free to breath as a medical student and fitness trainer, who also happen to be girlfriends. Perhaps it is still the honeymoon phase, but Barriss has never experienced such freedom to love and be loved without judgement. It’s like they say, the Golden State and it matches the golden heart of her beautiful girlfriend.

It’s Valentine’s Day. Barriss was never been fond of the concept, a commercialized falsehood further complicating the already clouded external ideals of love that she still struggles to shake. But Ahsoka is cheesy and likes stuffed bears, and chocolates, and wine and the zoo on a sunny day and Barriss admits that it is nice. It’s all nice with Ahsoka.

They stop by the panda bear enclosure and Ahsoka leans down to kiss the top of her head.

“She kind of looks like you,” Ahsoka grins, “in the morning when you’re all groggy and grumpy and your hair’s a fluffy mess before I make you your tea.”

Barriss leans in close. “Somehow, I don’t see it.”

Ahsoka’s eyes are wide and blue and sparkling as if being here at the zoo in sunny San Diego, California with Barriss is the moon landing, an Oscar, and a Nobel Prize all wrapped into one. Barriss realizes there’s nowhere else she would rather be.

“What do you think she’s in for?” Ahsoka pulls Barris in front of her to lean against the barring, all psuedo serious, looking over her shoulder to scrutinize the bear like a detective, “I want to say…shop-lifting.”

“Heroin,” Barriss corrects her, and Ahsoka’s head tilts back in a deep laugh, “Look at the circles around her eyes, that’s clearly heroin.”

“And here I thought it was a lack of sleep,” Ahsoka’s arms curl around Barriss’s waist behind her, holding her, safe, steady. Right. The whole state of Kentucky could condemn them to hell and Barriss wouldn’t hear it over the sound of Ahsoka’s soft breaths.

“Maybe she’s just waiting,” Barriss suggests innocently, “For the right moment to change her life.”

“Like rehab?” Ahsoka doesn’t get it.

Barriss turns and extends to kiss her beloved on the mouth. Ahsoka tastes like summer in February, as intoxicating as white wine and as sweet as vanilla lip gloss.

“Sure,” she smiles, “or someone who is willing to make her tea every morning when she’s groggy and grumpy and her hair’s a fluffy mess.”


End file.
